Sand-green scraper



Patented July 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH w. FERGUSON, or PAWHUSKA, oKnAnoMA.

SAND-GREEN scRArER.

Application filed August 4, 1927. Serial No. 210,690.

This invention relates to sand green scrapers for golf links. i

Many golf courses throughout the country are provided with playing surfaces known as sand greens due to the'fact that grass greens cannot be satisfactorily usedor .due to the fact that it is desirable to use sand greens because ofthe inexpensiveness of the construction thereof. links that employ sand greens 7 it -1s;customary to .provide some sort of a scraper whereby the sand on the greens can be smoothed from time to time, so that in playing the game of golf the ball will roll truly and accurately toward the cup. On most golf links a scraping device which is rather large and cumbersome is left in the vicinity of the sand green, so that as each player approaches this point he can smooth the putting surface prior to playing any strokes on the green; Some of these smoothing devices consist merely of a carpet or piece of canvas to which is attached a cord or rope, so that the carpet can be dragged over the sand green and thereby smooth the same. However, it is often found that upon approaching the green no scraper'is to he found, due to the fact that it is either lost or misplaced, and accordingly the putting surface cannot be smoothed. It is an object of applicants device to provide a scraper for smoothing these sand greens which can be carried by each individual player or by any one of a number of players and can be placed in the golfbag so that it is always available for smoothing the green Another object of my invention is to provide a compact, light, andrelatively cheaply made smoothing device which will take up very little roomin the golf bag and will answer all of the purposes required.

Another object of my invention is to provide a scraper which is provided with 'a handle which is adapted to be folded into the plane of the scraper. so that when in folded position it will assume the general.

position of a straight shaft and accordingly will not obstruct the insertion or removal of clubs in the golf bag.

Referrin to the drawings which form a part hereo and in which corresponding numerals refer to corresponding parts,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my invention showing the handle in its folded position in dotted lines.

-On these golf.

Fig. a is a side elevation showing the locking ferrule inits disengaged position,

Fig. 3 is a detail View of the scraping member. p y

In carrying out my invention I provide a scraper blade l which consists of a relatively wide tubular member which maybe constructed ofmetal or other suitablematerial, and this tubular member is split from end to end as at 2, to provide an opening through one side of the tubular member, and the adjacent edges of the split portion are bent inwardly as at 3 and 4 to provide overhanging lips, so that any sand which gathers in front of the scraper while .it is beingv drag ged across the green to smooth the same will pass through the opening 2 and fall within the tubular member rather than pass over the top of the same, as is often themes in the scraper now ordinarily used. It is often found that after the ordinary scraper has been used, the sand which has gathered in front of the scraper passes over the top ofthe same and is deposited on the green in the same rough condition as it was when removed and therefore, the purpose of the scraper 1s defeated. 'In the present device, no such action takes place, since the open 'ing 2 providesmeans for collecting any sand that may gather in. front of the scraper and the lips 3- and l by being bent inwardly serve as troughs-which retain the sand within the tubular member and prevent it from being deposited 'on the green. After the scraping operation has been completed the sand that has been collected 'within the .tubular member can be emptied onto the green by merely turning the tubular member on its end. ,In this way none of the sand on the green is lost and it can be used repeatedly, while in the ordinary scraper which consists of a carpet or canvas considerablesand is lost due to the fact that it adheres to the cloth or canvas and repeated applications of sand to the greens are found to be necessary. i I Interiorly of the tubular member intermediate the ends thereof and in alignment with the opening 2 I provide a stud 5 which may be cast integral with or riveted or soldered or otherwise secured to the tubular member, and this stud 5 projects from the tubular member toward the opening 2 and is provided at its free end with a shoulder 6. Attached to this stud by means of a bolt or rivet 7 is a handle comprising a shank 8 and a grasping portion 11, the shank 8 being provided at its free end with a shouldered portion 9 which overlaps the shouldered portion 6 and is also engaged by the rivet 7. In this manner applicant provides a pivotal connection between the scraper and the shank 8, so that when not in operation the handle can be swung downwardly and into the position as shown in Fig. 1, in which the shank is enclosed within the tubular member and extends in the same plane therewith. In this manner I provide a scraper which is very compact in its construction and which occupies noniore space than the ordinary clubs in the golf bag. Furthermore, when in folded position this scraper offers no projections 1 or obstacles which might interfere with the ready insertion or removal of golf clubs in the bag, and at the same time a device is provided which will answer all purposes required. I

In order to maintain the handle in its operative position I provide a ferrule 01' sleeve 10 which encircles the shank 8 and is slidable thereon so that when the handle is in its operative position as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the sleeve 10 may be passed over the overlapping joint between the stud 5 and the shank 8 and thereby maintain the handle in a rigid position extending at right angles to the scraper member.

Attached to the free end of the shank is a grasping portion 11 which may be of any suitable construction,but in the preferred embodiment of my invention this grasping port-ion receives one end of the shank therein and provides a shoulder 12 against which the sliding sleeve 10 is adapted to abut when disengaged from the overlapping pivotal joint. This shoulder 12 acts as a stop, so that it is impossible for the sliding sleeve 10 to become loose or detached from the shank. In this manner I providea scraper which is composed of very few parts and these parts are permanently attached to each other, so that there is no liability of losing any of the elements and which requires no attention, since the various parts are so made that there is nothing that can in any way get out of order.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple, cheaply manufactured, and strong device has been provided which may be readily adjusted for use, and while I have shown thepreferred embodiment of my invention I do not intend to limit myself to any particular kind or class of material or finish thereof, but may construct my scraper in any manner within the scope of the claim hereto appended.

I claim:

1. A sand green scraper comprising a hollow tubular member provided with an opening extending from end to end along one side thereof, and a handle attached to the scraper and adapted to fold through the opening in the scraper and lie in the same plane therewith. v V

2. A sand green scraper comprising a tubular member having an opening extending from end to endthereof at one side, the edges of the tubular member adjacent the opening being bent inwardly to form troughs, and a foldable handle attached to said scraping member. g

A sand green scraper comprising a hollow tubular member having an opening extending from end to end thereof at one side and provided with inwardly turning flanges forming sand retaining troughs, astud secured to the scraping member and in align ment with the opening in the side thereof, and a handle pivoted to said stud and adapted to fold through theopening in the scraping member and lie in the same plane therewith. I

i. A sand green scraper comprising a hollow tubular member having an opening extending from end to end at one side thereof, a stud secured to the scraping member and in alignment with the opening therein, a handle extending through said openingand attached to the stud for swinging movement, and means carried by the handle for engaging said stud and handle to lock the handle in its operative position.

5. A sand green scraper comprising a hollow tubular member split from end to end at one side thereof and having sand retain ing flanges thereon at the edges adjacent the opening, a stud secured to the scraping member and extending toward and in alignment with the said opening, a handle extending through said opening and pivotally engaging said stud, whereby the handle may be swung to folded position, and a sleeve slidable on the handle and adapted to slide into the tube and over the pivotal joint between the stud and the handle to 'maintain the my hand. JOSEPH FERGUSON. 

